New mandatory standard to ensure safety of self-balancing scooters

The Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer, the Hon Kelly O'Dwyer, has today introduced a mandatory standard under the Australian Consumer Law to ensure the safety of self-balancing scooters (previously called ‘hoverboards’).

The ACCC conducted a safety investigation and found imminent fire safety risks result from defective electrical circuitry and substandard lithium-ion batteries in some hoverboards.

There have been a number of hoverboard related house fires and incidents of hoverboards sparking, overheating or producing smoke, both in Australia and overseas.

The ACCC recommended the Minister introduce a national safety standard after consultation with suppliers and electrical safety experts. The mandatory standard has the same requirements as the interim ban and will last for two years.

Details about the standard

The standard will reduce the risk of house fires associated with self-balancing scooters overheating while charging, lessening the risk of injury or death to consumers.

The standard covers two-wheeled devices. At this time there is insufficient evidence to require regulation of single wheeled devices in Australia, but the ACCC is continuing to monitor the safety of single wheeled devices.

The ACCC will work with state and territory electrical safety regulators to develop a longer-term solution during the next two years.

Retailers and suppliers can find information about the safety of self-balancing scooters and what they should do on the Product Safety Australia website.